Carolyn Caruthers joined as associate at Sauter Sullivan in 2005 and was named partner in 2016. Carolyn is admitted to practice in Missouri, Illinois, U.S. District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri; and U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. Ms. Caruthers graduated from the University of Iowa with a B.A. in Political Science and Philosophy in 2000. She graduated from Saint Louis University Law School, receiving her J.D. in 2003. Her areas of practice include:

Articles related to Carolyn Caruthers:

A 30-year-old male motorcycle rider was involved in a head-on collision after a truck made a left hand turn in front of him traveling 55-60 mph in Jefferson County, Missouri. The victim unconscious and unresponsive at the scene was life-flighted by helicopter to the hospital. He suffered from road rash, abrasions, a torn rotator cuff, shoulder, head, neck, back, leg, teeth, and gum injuries. The man’s injuries from being involved in a head-on collision left him unable to work for months as he underwent extensive medical treatment including two surgeries, a year of physical therapy and over $200,000 in medical bills from nearly 30 different medical providers. His employer could not hold his job open for him, so he bounced around odd jobs before he finally found full employment again. Carolyn Caruthers at the Sauter Sullivan law firm investigated his case, gathered his medical documentation, and assisted with medical appointments and referrals. At the end, Caruthers negotiated a total settlement of $340,000 for her client.

An X-ray technician in his late 30’s was rear ended in an auto accident in Tennessee in October of 2011. He was stopped at an exit ramp off a highway, waiting for traffic to clear to make his turn, when the driver of the other vehicle hit him from behind at a high rate of speed.

In 2008, a 40 year old mother of one was seriously injured in an auto accident at the intersection of Union Road and Union Terrace in St. Louis, County, Missouri. The woman was driving down Union Road with her daughter when another driver attempted a left hand turn directly in front of her, crashing hard into her vehicle. The force of the impact was so severe it caused the woman’s car to flip onto its side. The mother sustained various abrasions and lacerations, plus neck, back and shoulder injuries in the car crash. She suffered a tear in her left shoulder as a result of the accident and required two different surgeries on the shoulder due to ongoing pain and limitations following the first procedure. The woman missed a lot of time from work and had to undergo a great deal of medical treatment. She came to Carolyn Caruthers at Sauter Sullivan after becoming dissatisfied with her previous attorney, as her case had been pending for several years without resolution or communication from her prior counsel. Caruthers negotiated the claims for both the woman and her daughter. Due to Caruthers’ hard work and persistence with negotiations, the at fault driver’s insurance company settled for $100,000, and the client’s insurance carrier paid out an additional $100,000 on her underinsured motorist coverage, for a total recovery of $200,000 for the client.

In January 2013, a high school principal and father was driving in south St. Louis City when another driver coming from the opposite direction tried to make a left hand turn in front of him, causing a head-on collision. The client initially went to the ER for complaints of neck and back pain, and then started chiropractic treatment. Then, a few days after the car accident he suffered a stroke, which required a lengthy hospitalization, and extensive treatment and therapy. While the injuries and treatment from the car accident itself were not very substantial, the injuries resulting from the stroke were quite extensive, requiring over a year of therapy and causing the man to miss over 6 months of work.

There were many intricate questions about whether the stroke was causally related to the car accident as the client had pre-existing risk factors that could have resulted in the stroke. The gentleman came to the Sauter Sullivan law firm for help. Carolyn Caruthers listened to the man’s story, took the case and worked hard to ensure her client got the compensation he deserved. Claims were made with the other driver’s insurance company as well as the clients for underinsured motorist coverage. Caruthers consulted with medical experts and fought through a protracted investigation on the causal connection between the car accident and the subsequent stroke. In the end, Caruthers was able to gain two policy limits settlements for her client totaling $125,000.

A mother in her mid 40’s rear-ended a truck and trailer while driving in the fast lane of Highway 55 in the St. Louis area. She had just changed into the fast lane when the defendant’s truck and trailer came to a complete stop in the fast lane of the highway.

There were actually 2 trucks from the same company following each other from a job site when they missed their turn off and instead of going to the next exit to turn around, the driver of the front truck decided to make an illegal u-turn by turning into a driveway that was clearly marked for use only by authorized or emergency vehicles. When the first truck slowed to make the illegal u-turn, the truck that was following had to slam on his brakes, coming to a complete stop on the highway. The woman was unable to stop in time and struck the truck. She was significantly injured in the truck accident. She sustained whiplash injuries to her neck and back, as well as injury to her elbow, but the most severe injury was to her left knee which struck the dashboard in the collision. She ended up needing surgery on her knee and lots of physical therapy. She continues to have neck and back problems. The woman knew Kevin Sullivan, and contacted the Sauter Sullivan law firm for help. Carolyn Caruthers was assigned to the case and she fought long and hard for her client. She was ready to take the case to trial but fortunately the defending truck company agreed to a favorable settlement of $115,000 which covered her client’s medical bills, lost wages, therapy and pain and suffering.

A sales manager in his mid-40’s was seriously injured in an auto accident in Madison County, Illinois. The man was driving to work on a snowy January morning when a woman driving towards him from the opposite direction lost control of her vehicle and crossed over into the man’s lane, striking his vehicle. The impact spun the man’s vehicle around in such a manner that the woman’s car struck him a second time and pushed his vehicle off the road into a ditch. The man suffered serious injuries to his neck, shoulder and knee as a result of the car crash. The knee was so badly damaged he required a total knee replacement, and his shoulder required surgery to repair his rotator cuff. He also had 3 disc bulges in his neck for which surgery was not a good option, requiring him to undergo more conservative treatment including physical therapy and injections. His injuries were so severe he was off work for a period of time for which he lost wages, plus he incurred huge medical expenses associated with his surgery and rehabilitation therapy. When the woman driver’s insurance company was not forthcoming with compensation, the injured man contacted Carolyn Caruthers at the Sauter Sullivan law firm. Caruthers assertively negotiated on behalf of her client in the insurance company dispute, and reached a settlement wherein the insurance company paid $100,000 in compensation, the maximum limit under the policy.

Carolyn Caruthers of Sauter Sullivan LLC took the case of an out of state motorcyclist who was injured when a Cadillac Escalade struck her while driving her motorcycle on I-270 in St. Louis. The driver of the Escalade was looking at her cell-phone while driving in the center lane when traffic slowed; the driver swerved to avoid hitting the car in front of her, veered into another lane and hit Caruthers’ client. The impact of the collision caused the motorcycle to hit the concrete median and the woman was thrown from her bike and skidded across the highway. She sustained a foot injury that required surgery, various disc herniation’s in her back, plus other injuries including the emotional distress associated with the post-traumatic stress from the motorcycle accident. Initially, the driver of the Escalade and her insurer attempted to avoid liability for the client’s losses and injuries and made a very low offer. Due to the bad offer and the numerous medical bills the client accumulated, the lost time from work and the negative impact the crash had on the the client’s quality of life, Caruthers filed suit on behalf of her client. Caruthers’ hard work paid off when she negotiated a $95,000 settlement for her client a month before the trial was scheduled to start.

In February of 2012 a southern Illinois warehouse employee in his mid-20’s was injured at work when his knee popped and snapped while stepping off a forklift. His injury required surgery, which unfortunately did not take and resulted in a second and ultimately a third surgery due to infection. The man had permanent physical restrictions and limitations due to the injury, and was off work and required medical treatment for nearly two years after the fall. The injured worker came to Carolyn Caruthers of Sauter Sullivan, who took his Worker’s Compensation case and filed a claim on his behalf. There were numerous fights and complications along the way with regard to approving medical treatment, and payment for time off work, but due to Caruthers’ hard work and persistence with negotiations, her client was compensated for his time off work and all of his medical expenses, and received a settlement of $98,600 for his injuries.

A licensed practical nurse in her 50’s was stopped at a traffic light in a line of cars on Greenmount Road in Shiloh, Illinois. The driver of an 18-wheeler semi-truck was not paying attention, looking through his delivery papers as he drove, and slammed into the last vehicle in line at a high rate of speed, causing a multi-car pileup.

The force of the impact from the truck accident pushed the last vehicle in line into the nurse’s car, which in turn hit the vehicle in front of her. The woman called the personal injuryattorneys at Sauter Sullivan for help, and counsellor Carolyn Caruthers took on the case. The client suffered physical and emotional injuries in the truck accident, and had ongoing problems with headaches, as well as neck, back and leg pain, even though there was no evidence of any fracture or disc herniation. She missed 2 weeks of work due to the truck crash, and suffered anxiety driving following the collision. Sauter Sullivan negotiated with the trucking company’s insurance carrier and reached an $80,000 settlement for the client.

Carolyn Caruthers, a personal injuryattorney with the Sauter Sullivan law firm, took on a premises liability case for a client who was injured in a slip and fall accident at a restaurant in St. Charles, Missouri. The client was a young man in his mid-20’s, who was carrying his 2 year old in his arms as he entered a restaurant.

Two clients of the Sauter Sullivan law firm, a grandmother and granddaughter, were involved in a car accident caused by an uninsured motorist. The uninsured motorist was traveling in front of the clients when he made an illegal U-turn striking the clients’ vehicle. The granddaughter had some minor injuries, including pain in her left wrist, for which she was treated in the emergency room and released. No follow up treatment was required. Unfortunately, the Grandmother’s injuries were more substantial and included a laceration to her scalp which required numerous stitches along with a fractured right wrist. Fortunately, her wrist fracture was resolved with physical therapy and did not require surgery.

Carolyn Caruthers fought for her clients and was able to get $3,000 plus medical expenses for the granddaughter’s minor injuries. On the claim for the grandmother, Caruthers recovered policy limits on the two applicable insurance policies for a total settlement of $50,000 for her medical expenses and pain and suffering.

A 54 year old laborer came to the Sauter Sullivanlaw firm with a premises liability case that involved personal injury. The man had significantly injured his knee in a slip and fall accident caused by a puddle of water on the floor of a rest room in a hospital in St. Louis, Missouri.

The leak and water problem had been reported to the hospital prior to the client’s fall, but the hospital had failed to post a warning of the danger, and had not cleaned up the water or repaired the leak. The man did not have insurance to cover the medical expenses associated with his injury, and thus was unable to get medical treatment. He went almost 6 months after the slip and fall incident without getting proper medical treatment. The pain became too much to bear, and he finally sought the help of Carolyn Caruthers, one of the personal injury attorneys at Sauter Sullivan. Caruthers helped the client set up a claim to get the necessary medical treatment, at which time his injury was finally diagnosed as a torn meniscus, and he underwent surgery to treat the problem. He also required ongoing post-operative treatments and physical therapy, all the while adding to his medical expenses. Sauter Sullivan helped the client get the necessary medical treatment, and negotiated a $50,000 settlement on the premises liability claim with the hospital where the fall occurred.

A mother and her two children were involved in a head-on collision with a driver that fled the scene of the car accident in north St. Louis County. All three victims suffered from neck and back strains and sprain injuries, and the younger son also had complaints of headaches and was diagnosed with post-accident concussions. In addition to the injuries, the mother’s vehicle was un-drivable and was rendered a total loss from the crash. Unfortunately, the value of the vehicle was less than the outstanding loan balance and the substantial negotiations were needed to resolve the total loss claim. In the meantime, the medical bills were piling up and the family had transportation problems getting to and from work and school since they were without their car. The mother went to Carolyn Caruthers at Sauter Sullivan for help. Caruthers fought with the insurance company, worked out the issues with the property damage total loss claim, and reached settlements on all three injury claims. Carolyn was able negotiate $10,000 for the vehicle replacement along with and compensation totaling $44,000 for the family’s injury claims.

A housekeeper and mother was injured in April 2014 when she was involved in a car accident in North County St. Louis. She was driving on the inside lane on Natural Bridge when a driver of a U-Haul trailer improperly changed lanes and struck her vehicle on the passenger side. The woman suffered from neck, back and left side sprains and complained of headaches. She went to the ER for treatment and accrued substantial bills for diagnostic testing; she also required some minimal follow-up chiropractic treatment.

The driver of the U-Haul initially tried to deny liability of the accident and stated that the mother came around him while he was trying to make a turn and that caused the collision. The woman’s car was un-drivable and ruled a total loss. Not sure what to do, she sought legal representation with another law firm. After two months, the attorney she was working with still wasn’t able to resolve her property damage claim and didn’t even have the claim set up with the correct insurance company. Frustrated, she decided to go to Sauter Sullivan for help. Carolyn Caruthers listened to the woman’s story, took her case, and went to bat for her client. Despite starting from square one with the correct insurance company and having to fight to ensure liability was placed on the other driver, Caruthers settled the property damage claim within a few weeks, and then settled the injury claim within a few months after that. Caruthers negotiated settlements totaling $40,000 for her client, a great result for a soft tissue sprain/strain injury. If you are ever in a situation where the other lawyer fails, call us, we may be able to help.

A 50-year-old waitress slipped on the wet tile floor in a kitchen while on the job in St. Louis County Missouri. The fall caused injuries to her arm, shoulder, and neck which ultimately resulted in surgery. The woman’s injuries required a lot of medical attention, including two surgeries, and she was unable to work for a long time. The waitress initially tried to handle the claim on her own and Workers Compensation repeatedly failed to respond to her in a timely fashion. They ultimately responded with a workers compensation denial of treatment for her neck or shoulder injuries. As time passed, the client required surgery for a torn rotator cuff in her dominant shoulder, plus another and surgery on her neck for a bulging disc. The waitress needed help and didn’t know what to do, so she contacted Carolyn Caruthers at the Sauter Sullivan law firm. Carolyn Caruthers took the case and fought against the Workers Compensation denial, including filing for compensation for medical treatment and her client’s permanent disability caused by the fall’s injury to her elbow, neck, and shoulder. Despite the initial denial and refusal of treatment by Workers’ Compensation, Caruthers prevailed for her client and got Workers Compensation to reimburse for all of the waitress’s medical bills, including costs for the two surgeries and all post operation treatment, her lost wages for time missed initially after the injury as well as after the surgeries, and 10% disability for the elbow, 25% disability for the shoulder and 35% disability for her neck injury. The total settlement gained the client close to $40,000 over and above the payment of her previously denied medical treatment in compensation for her work related injuries.

A 6-year-old girl was in the back seat of her mother’s vehicle when they were involved in a rear-end collision on Skinker Blvd in St. Louis City. The little girl’s seat belt pulled loose upon impact and the girl was thrown forward into the console of the front seat where she was struck in the face by the front seat airbag. The little girl was taken to the hospital suffering a serious eye injury. Due to increased pressure in her eye, emergency surgery was performed. The young victim still has no vision in her left eye, and additional surgery may be required, but her visual impairment could be permanent. The driver who caused the accident did not have any insurance, so Carolyn Caruthers investigated and located a policy providing uninsured motorist coverage to the girl. Caruthers filed a claim on behalf of her client against the uninsured motorist coverage under her grandmother’s policy, as the little girl was a resident relative. Within weeks of the accident and injury, Carolyn negotiated a policy limit settlement of $25,000 for her client.

A 23- year old man was driving in downtown St. Louis when a vehicle coming at him from the opposite direction crossed into his lane. The man swerved and avoided the head-on collision but ended up driving onto a sidewalk, hitting a sign and ultimately running into a brick building in a one vehicle collision. The impact caused him to hit is head and lose consciousness. The other driver that crossed into his lane was never identified. Fortunately, someone at the scene called 911. EMS arrived, got him out of his damaged vehicle and took him to the ER. Luckily he did not sustain a head-injury despite his loss of consciousness, but he did suffer contusions and lacerations to his face, including a deep cut to his lip that required stitches. Various scans and x-rays were performed but were all negative, so fortunately, the abrasions and lacerations were the only injuries he sustained. He didn’t require any follow-up treatment but the bills from EMS and the ER were very substantial. The man was very nervous about the medical bills coming in, and given the fact the other driver was never identified, he wasn’t sure what to do. Months after the accident, his mother referred him to Carolyn Caruthers, who took his case and filed an uninsured motorist claim with his insurance company. Carolyn was able to set up a recorded interview and ultimately convinced the man’s insurance company that a phantom vehicle that left the scene was the cause of the accident. Within 90 days of taking the case Carolyn got the insurance company to agree to pay a settlement of $25,000 in uninsured motorist coverage, and she was also able to get his medical bills submitted through his health insurance to help defray the costs. This was a great relief to her client because his medical bills actually exceeded the amount of his uninsured motorist coverage in the one vehicle collision.

A 25 year old landscaper was traveling in the far right lane on Highway 270 in St. Louis in May of 2014 when another driver attempting to merge onto the highway came into his lane causing a severe car accident. The landscaper’s airbags deployed causing his rear view mirror to shatter and cut his face near his eye; the eye injury required medical attention and a number of stitches. He also suffered from neck and back sprains and strains. The other driver, who was uninsured, claimed the landscaper caused the accident and filed a lawsuit against him. Looking for help, the landscaper came to Sauter Sullivan law firm where Carolyn Caruthers took the case. She fought the false allegations against him and filed suit against the other driver. The client incurred medical bills from his injuries, lost wages from being unable to return to the physical demands of landscaping for several months, and had permanent scarring to his face. Caruthers was able to prove that the accident was completely the other driver’s fault and with a fast settlement. Within 2-3 months she finalized negotiations for a $25,000 settlement, the maximum his policy allowed for uninsured motorist coverage.

A 50 year old career woman was rear-ended in her vehicle off Berry Road in Webster Groves, Missouri. The insurance company was skeptical of her medical claims due to the minor impact of the collision and minimal visible damage to the woman’s car. The crash was severe enough to cause her body to jerk forward and backward upon impact, causing sprains and strains to her neck and back…classic whiplash injuries. She required treatment for over 9 months including care from the ER, her primary doctor, a chiropractor and physical therapist before the symptoms were resolved. Sauter Sullivan assisted the client with locating necessary medical treatment, worked with the medical insurance company to get a favorable reduction in bills owed for medical treatment, and overcame the auto insurance company’s arguments of low speed or low velocity impact. Carolyn Caruthers persuaded the insurance company to overcome their skepticism of injuries caused by a “minor impact” and negotiated a full policy limits settlement of $25,000 for her client.

A banker in her early 30’s was driving in Downtown St. Louis in March of 2016 when another driver ran a red light, causing a head-on collision. The impact caused the airbag to deploy and the woman was thrown back and forth and side to side in her vehicle. She suffered from neck and back pain immediately but refused medical treatment on the scene because she didn’t have health insurance and was afraid of the incurring medical bills. A few days later, after suffering from headaches and increased pain she went to the ER where they advised her she had a pinched nerve. Already afraid of the medical bills from her ER visit she tried to manage her pain herself with over the counter medication, but the pain was so severe some days that she missed work; she was in a great deal of pain for several months. The driver who hit her did not have car insurance, so she called Sauter Sullivan. Carolyn Caruthers met with the woman and they filed a claim with her own insurance company for uninsured motorist coverage. Ms Caruthers helped her client get the medical treatment she needed to relieve her pinched nerve, and within three months of taking the case, she negotiated an insurance company settlement of $23,000 for her client, which covered her medical bills and left her with over $15,000 of compensation for her injury in the head-on collision.

A mother in her mid 30’s suffered whiplash when she was in a rear-end collision on Riverview Blvd in the City of St. Louis. She was rushed to the hospital after the accident because she had just been released from hospitalization days earlier after suffering a pulmonary embolism. The woman incurred a large amount of medical expenses from the ER and follow up visits to a chiropractor to treat her ongoing pain and stiffness. She was left hopeless after her prior attorney had dropped the claim, advising her not to proceed because the impact wasn’t hard enough to justify a whiplash claim, and she didn’t have insurance on her vehicle. 10 months after the accident she was referred to Sauter Sullivan attorney, Carolyn Caruthers, who helped her reach a settlement for $19,000 within a few short months of taking the rear-end collision claim.

A server at a hotel near St. Louis Lambert Airport developed Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in her left hand after repetitively carrying heavy trays of food for her job. A doctor told her that her hand required surgery. When her employer refused to pay for the surgery, the woman came to Sauter Sullivan for help. The hotel tried to place the blame for the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome on the employee , claiming she had an increased risk for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome due to being female, having recently been pregnant and because she had diabetes.

Chris Geldmacher of Sauter Sullivan listened to the woman’s story, took the case, and filed a Workers’ Compensation claim on her behalf. Chris fought hard to ensure his client received the surgery she needed as a result of her on-the-job-injury. He hired an expert physician who testified that her carpal tunnel was from holding trays while at her employment. The employer hired its own expert, whose findings agreed with the employer’s argument. The case went to trial before a judge who ruled in favor of Mr. Geldmacher’s client. The employer was ordered to pay for the client’s surgery, and after her recovery Geldmacher negotiated a settlement of $18,600 for his client.

In September 2012, a young woman on disability due to congestive heart failure and other medical problems was at a local St. Louis Hospital undergoing treatment. During her stay at the hospital, she had a slip and fall accident caused by some water on the floor in the hallway. The fall caused the woman head and leg pain which was treated at the ER and required followed up chiropractic treatment. She incurred medical bills and expenses from her fall. She initially set up a claim with the hospital on her own and her claim was denied as the hospital did not believe they were responsible for her fall or injuries. Not sure what to do, she came to Carolyn Caruthers at the Sauter Sullivan law firm looking for help. Carolyn took her case and immediately filed suit against the hospital. Carolyn was able to work with the legal team on behalf of the hospital, get them to accept liability and negotiated an early settlement of $15,000 for her client, without having to proceed with extensive litigation, depositions and trial.

A 17 year old student was injured in a bus accident when the school bus he was riding in was cut off by a car, causing the bus to runoff the road and hit a tree. The impact threw the student from his seat and he suffered from neck and back strains which required medical attention.

Prior to obtaining legal counsel, the school bus and their insurance company offered the student a mere $5,000, which wouldn’t even cover all the medical expenses accrued from the bus accident. Carolyn Caruthers of the Sauter Sullivan law firm took the case and quickly went to bat for her client. After some investigation, the Sauter Sullivan team was able to both re-negotiate the claim with the bus’ insurance carrier and was also able to locate additional insurance coverage and ended up getting her client a settlement of $15,000, three times the insurance company’s offer made prior to retaining counsel.

A disabled gentleman in his mid 50s suffered neck, back, and shoulder sprains after being involved in a Metro/Bi-State bus accident in the city of St Louis. While he was riding as the sole passenger on the bus, the driver attempted to make a turn too fast on icy and slick road conditions. The bus driver lost control and, over corrected and struck 3 parked cars on the opposite side of the road, then slid back across both lanes, and finally stopped going through a fence. The multiple collisions and wild jarring’s of the bus threw the disabled gentleman from his seat onto the floor, injuring his right shoulder and neck, and spraining his back. Immense pain hit instantly, compounded by the fact that the disabled gentleman recently underwent surgery on his right shoulder due to a rare blood disease. The disabled man was taken to the ER, and had a series of medical treatments including follow up with his surgeon from prior shoulder surgery, and a chiropractor. The gentleman found the Sauter Sullivan Law Firm, where Carolyn Caruthers set up a claim with Metro Bi-State and quickly negotiateda favorable settlement for $14,000, an amount well over the cost of his medical bills from the bus accident.

A client of Carolyn Caruthers at the Sauter Sullivan law firm, a 22 year old medical student, was injured in a car accident in downtown St. Louis. She was driving through a green light when another vehicle ran a red light and struck her. The other driver was using her cell phone at the time, and was obviously distracted. Caruthers’ client suffered from knee pain and some minor cuts and bruises from the accident, causing her to see her primary care doctor and an orthopedic knee specialist. Fortunately her injuries weren’t overly serious or ongoing, but she did incur medical costs as a result of the accident. Caruthers fought with the insurance companies and reached a quick settlement that awarded her client $7600 in addition to covering all her medical bills and out of pocket expenses.

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